Self-reliance in defence equipment manufacturing crucial for maintaining India's strategic autonomy: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh onFriday said attaining self-reliance in manufacturing ofdefence equipment is a crucial factor for maintaining Indiasstrategic autonomy.The Minister also asked officials to increase the grantsthat the startups under iDEX Innovations for DefenceExcellence receive.I spoke to Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat andhe too expressed his worry that the amount our iDEX startupsget is less.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh onFriday said attaining self-reliance in manufacturing ofdefence equipment is a crucial factor for maintaining Indiasstrategic autonomy.

The Minister also asked officials to increase the grantsthat the startups under iDEX (Innovations for DefenceExcellence) receive.

''I spoke to Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat andhe too expressed his worry that the amount our iDEX startupsget is less. I ask our Secretary Defence Production andSecretary Defence to see that it is increased in some way. Ifeel that it is too less,'' Singh said.

Speaking at the ''Startup Manthan'' at the Aero India-2021here, he said, attaining self-reliance in the manufacturing ofdefence equipment is a crucial factor for maintaining Indiasstrategic autonomy.

''The iDEX initiative stands out as one of the mosteffective and well-executed defence Start-up ecosystemscreated in our country. I believe it is a decisive steptowards achieving self-reliance in the true spirit of theAatma Nirbhar Bharat campaign,'' he added.

Launched in April 2018, iDEX aims to achieve self -reliance and foster innovation and technology development inDefence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs,start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.

iDEX has partnered with leading incubators in the countryto provide hand holding, technical support and guidance to thewinners of iDEX challenges.

A resounding success since its launch, the Startup Indiaprogramme today boasts an ecosystem of more than 41,000startups and 4.7 lakh jobs reported by them, Singh said,noting Rs 4,500 crore investment had been made in 384 startupsthrough the Fund of Funds scheme.

In such an ecosystem, it will not be an exaggeration tosay the country's economy was soon going to be driven by thesestartups, he said, adding the government was acutely consciousthat startups being latest entrants in the defencemanufacturing sector required that ''extra push''.

''With this aim in view, we have taken many steps tofoster and encourage this part of the private industry, like-opening of patent laboratories of DRDO to private industry,setting up of young scientist labs in niche technology areas...,'' he added.

Singh noted that in the aerospace sector itself 300 plusstart-ups are currently engaged and under iDEX, 10 start-upshave developed products worth Rs 100 crore which have beendisplayed at Aero India 21.

''I am very happy to announce that 45 MSMEs who haveparticipated in Aero India have already got orders worth Rs203 crore. This is a very heartening news and I am sure itwill grow further in the times to come,'' he said.